Close. Cloister doesn’t just target an area of land, it also targets each and every living creature therein. But it blocks all teleportation, communication, or divination magic from breaching that area (and living creatures therein).
However, the conclusion is the same, since Cloister specifically allows casting them within the area or within the area targeting outside the area, so Xykon could cast divinations for the phylactery with abandon.
Or, actually, Redcloak could. There’s no way that Xykon would’ve picked a divination spell for one of his few spells known as a sorcerer.
It’s fairly clear that Xykon doesn’t have any divination, because he bought that TeeVo scrying device.
Cloister also protects for a time all living creatures that leave the area, which is more what I’m getting at. If Xykon regenerates out in the oceanic deeps, Redcloak won’t be able to track him until Cloister’s effect wears off.
If Cloister blocks divinations from picking up on living creatures that were in the Cloistered area when it was cast, you could scry Xykon out as soon as he leaves the Cloistered area.
Undead are creatures, but not living creatures. Think RB could pass that one up?
“It basically blocked all divination, communication, and transportation magic from breaching an area up to several miles wide.”
“Teleportation, scrying, plane shifting, dimension doors, locating creatures, sending, ethereal jaunts, you name it, it blocked it.”
Nothing in there blocks only living creatures. What epic spellcaster would invent a block-scrying spell that freely allows your enemies to scry out your floorplans even if they can’t pick up what creatures you’ve stocked in your obligatory dungeon?
The spell is said to target an area and living creatures. That means that Xykon, as an unliving creature, does not carry the spell’s effects. If he’s within the area effected, he’s protected by Cloister blocking “all divination, communication, and transportation magic”. If he leaves the area effected, he’s no longer protected by Cloister and can therefore be scried upon.
The problem here is that the Oracle doesn’t want to twist the prophecy. If the Snarl breaks loose, it’s the end of everything - including the goddess who provides the Oracle with his visions. When Roy asked about which gate Xykon was headed towards, the Oracle actually tried to steer him towards asking the right question, but Roy was dead-set on getting his carefully worded (and badly flawed) question answered exactly as-is.
If the interpretation of the spell is that literal, it would also exclude a great many other creatures — golems, for instance. If I had to guess I’d say Cloister is likely to have few loopholes rather than many.
Another kickass strip in a series of nonstop awesome. I was a bit irked that the phylactery missed the rift, 'cause I really wanted O-Chul and V to have accomplished something major, but this is a pretty good development too. It was worth it just to see Xykon’s reactions, from his pain-filled expression in the first panel when that delcious blast smacked him upside the head to his horrified “No no no no…” to his typically cocky “YES!” and finally that expression in the second to last panel – the one Rich has used about three times in total, when Xykon is utterly gobsmacked, which never fails to crack me up.
Of course the three alternate destinations for the phylactery were hilarious. There were no good options for Xykon in any of 'em. I wonder if it’s possible that the phylactery was at all damaged, or at least its structural integrity weakened, by the various attacks on it – the cell bar, explosive runes, and fall from a great height? Or is it all or nothing when it comes to damaging items in D&D?
But the phylactery is distant in my interest in the strip; I care about the characters and emotions most of all. So 'twas the final panel I loved the best, because it scares the shit out of me. That is what you call one seriously infuriated skull! I don’t remember ever seeing Xykon so ready to blow his top in such a deadly, frightening way. Unless it was:
…when he discovered he could no longer taste food back in SOD?
I love how Rich emphasizes the emotion of the moment by allowing that final panel to focus on Xykon’s slow burn of hatred. Boy, sure hope Vaarsuvius and O-Chul have managed to get themselves out of the Hold Person spell, because death may be too kindly to describe what Xykon’s gonna do to 'em for causing him such a personal pain and discomfort.
[spoiler]Seriously: that was bizarre to say the least! A little disappointing, in that I hate to see Vaarsuvius so unable to do anything where O-Chul is, but of course, O-Chul is way stronger than V in several different ways (plus he got the potions of healing). Plus I think it’s almost anticlimactic for O-Chul not to die after all the setup of martyrdom we’ve gotten.
But hey, if O-Chul had to live in order to get my fave V outta there, long live O-Chul!
It was a great strip and utterly unexpected, like the title. I was creeped out by Xykon being ready to Meteor Swarm the helpless duo in their mouths – talk about gangsta. Xykon getting his “kills” taken away from him just sets things up for an even more nasty confrontation down the line. These are gonna be two enemies Xykon remembers, that’s for sure! Dying to find out where the duo will turn up. Hopefully well out of Xykon’s range.[/spoiler]
The whole point of this book was getting the order back together, so V will probably end up with the rest of the team just as Roy’s resurrection is completed. Putting O-Chul there as well sets him up to meet with Hinjo, which could definitely be a crowning moment of heartwarming.